The question (which technically isn't a question since it's not a sentence) is almost inescapable now. Personally I'm tired of hearing it, but I know that it isn't going away. This probably isn't a stance that you would expect from me, but I think people are taking it TOO seriously. In fact I think people are deluding themselves into thinking they like particular artists so they can be seen as eclectic or what have you, when in actuality they're becoming more close-minded by only listening to your Asher Roths or Charles Hamiltons. Not that I don't have anything against them (actually I don't like what I've heard from either that much, so guess I retract that last statement.) The point is that way too many people feel like conscious rap is the only thing worth listening to. But they fail to see that rap is more then the lyrics, or the music, or the sum of the two. Not that conscious rap always has great lyricists; and with everyone trying to be different, they're really being more of the same.
I like UGK (RIP Pimp C). Always have, always will.
I like Outkast. Even though they didn't achieve star status until Speakerboxx/The Love Below, I stay nodding my head to Aquemini, which was much more loyal to their Southern roots.
Hell, I even like listening to Young Jeezy and Gucci Mane from time to time.
But I don't like the fact that people write off Southern rap as if it's second tier. To be honest, a lot of artists aren't talking about anything, even some of your favorite "Alt-Rap" purveyors. Kid Cudi isn't exactly spitting gems in "Day and Night", but people are so wrapped up in being "different" that he's somehow supposed to be the next big thing. I might sound like I'm hating, but I like to think I'm firing off on behalf of the South. Lil' Wayne catches a lot of flack, even though he's currently running the game. I've said as much as anyone that my problem with Wayne is that he's pretty inconsistent, and frequently does better guest verses than he does on his own albums.
Essentially my problem with this new wave of artists is that they are receiving more credit than they are due, in my opinion. One thing that my favorite generation of rappers all have in common is that they were grinding for a long time before they became famous. From Jay-Z to Scarface to Master P, to any number of artists that made their name known in the 90s, they ALL had to pay their dues. Whether you like them or not, these guys worked very hard for whatever success they ended up getting. The presence of the internet now lets anyone post any sort of content however they want for everyone to see... er, not that there's anything wrong with THAT (looks around nervously). My point being, its hard for me to take anyone seriously who doesn't seem to take their own craft seriously. So when I hear of Kid Cudi entering retirement, it makes me just shake my head, don the earphones, and transport myself to the time when artists made music like it was their way of life, not just their way to fame.
currently listening to:
"Music For Life"
by Hi-Tek featuring J. Dilla, Nas, Common, and Busta Rhymes
Hi-Teknology2: The Chip
April 24, 2009 at 4:46 AM
Was watching an interview with Joell Ortiz (who is from Brooklyn) and he made an interesting statement. He said, "If you drove from Florida to NY having only the radio to guide you, you would never know when you reached New York." Suffice it to say, everyone kinda makes the same old gimmicky crap nowadays. The South used to be the easy scapegoat, but then they got successful, so everyone started sounding like them in an attempt to become successful. Right now, I think it's difficult to even categorize rappers based on where they're from (can you compare Andre 3000 to Gucci Mane? Or Nas to Jim Jones??). I think now it's just a matter of, who's nice and who's wack.
Sidebar: This comment was much too long.